The Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, stated that the Cuban regime is preparing for a possible military action from the U.S.
“Our army is always prepared and, in fact, is currently preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression,” the official said this Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press program.
"The truth is that we always see it as something very distant. We don't believe it's likely, but we would be naive if we didn't prepare ourselves," he added.
According to the official, the Cuban regime would be naive if it does not prepare for that possibility, but he hopes it does not happen.
"We don't see why it would happen," he added.
Fernández de Cossío dodged the question about whether his government would be willing to release political prisoners, allow political parties, and enable a free press to avoid a military operation, using the usual rhetoric of regime propaganda.
The official stated that in the U.S. there are many prisoners, only two political parties, and he does not believe that country would engage in negotiations with a foreign power on such matters.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also assured that, to his knowledge, the discussions are limited to bilateral issues.
When asked if a change of regime is out of the question, Fernández de Cossío responded firmly, "Absolutely."
One day prior, the regime's spokesperson had already asserted that "the Cuban political system is not subject to negotiation," nor are any of its government positions.
At a press conference, De Cossío stated that negotiations with the United States are "very sensitive" matters and that the government is handling them "with discretion," refusing to provide details about the discussions.
"I can definitely confirm that the Cuban political system is not subject to negotiation, nor, of course, is the president or any government position negotiable, whether with the United States or any other country," he stated, as reported by the EFE agency.
The official deemed any attempt to "erasure the independence" of the Caribbean country as "totally unacceptable for Cuba."
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